tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post1180034193062101594..comments2024-03-29T07:38:33.064-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: SUNDAY, Jun. 8, 2008 - Will Nediger (Bear-named villainess in Superman films)Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37094765575103430762020-06-27T11:29:46.712-04:002020-06-27T11:29:46.712-04:00Fogman here in the future - June 27, 2020 to be pr...Fogman here in the future - June 27, 2020 to be precise. Nobody noticed - or at least commented on it - but the little comic image Rex posted in his “Listings” is SLUGgo of Nancy fame. Nice subtle pun...thefogmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870509029973778266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46670810225952645902008-06-17T11:44:00.000-04:002008-06-17T11:44:00.000-04:00Dagnabit! I just now see that I mistakenly put in ...Dagnabit! I just now see that I mistakenly put in RENTED for [many a tuxedo], which yielded STEINER (which I mis-over-interpreted as "Schreiner", furniture-maker, which sort of worked) and HODLER (which I thought was some obscure word for valley.) Love HOLLER, wish I'd gotten it. <BR/><BR/>At home, we always refer to "pillows" as "pillers" and the toilet as the "terlet," just to be silly. Gotta add HOLLER to that.cody.riggshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05883012611419987246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-69412218636613953112008-06-15T16:10:00.000-04:002008-06-15T16:10:00.000-04:00I thought this was particularly easy, even for a S...I thought this was particularly easy, even for a Sunday. QUAKING ASPENS gave away the theme, and that gives the solver a Q and two U's (give or take a QANTAS) precisely located by the theme answers, with sure knowledge there is a word starting with A also in each theme answer. The theme clues were very easy as a consequence. <BR/><BR/>"Tautomerism" in 69A is a word from Organic I - MDs, who were premeds taking organic chemistry once, should have a leg up (legs up?) on that. ENOL was mostly in from their crosses in my case before I saw the clue. And ALABASTER as a form of gypsum, QUATERNARY (st)AGE, CRYOGENS, OPAL, and GEMS suggest to me that WN is perhaps a mineralogist or geochemist.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-42345037568573461582008-06-10T00:20:00.000-04:002008-06-10T00:20:00.000-04:00anon 11:30 pm, many a tux is indeed black, but if ...anon 11:30 pm, many a tux is indeed black, but if the answer is BLACK, the clue must be [Like many a tux] instead, because BLACK is an adjective, so the clue must be an adjective or adjectival phrase. it's not enough for the sentence "{clue} is {answer}" or vice versa; they still have to agree in part of speech and number. <BR/><BR/>the exceptions to this rule are 1) fill-in-the-blank, obviously; and 2) a clue which is already a complete sentence like [It's well-supplied] for OIL.Joonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07825085755390339668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14111630347060822602008-06-09T11:10:00.000-04:002008-06-09T11:10:00.000-04:00Rex, wouldn't it be better if they were eating UGL...Rex, wouldn't it be better if they were eating UGLI fruit on a bridge in Riga, over the river Dvina?<BR/>Did the British Parliament use the accent on Quebec when they published the Act?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-7290719053550869952008-06-09T01:58:00.000-04:002008-06-09T01:58:00.000-04:00@JOONbut be careful, you cannot, inexplicably, pla...@JOON<BR/>but be careful, you cannot, inexplicably, play RESTAIN<BR/><BR/>Check out Atom Egoyan, he also made Exotica and the Sweet Hereafter. Was thrilled he was in the puzzle, tho Ararat was his most earnest (and somewhat dull) film.<BR/><BR/>Loved the idea for the puzzle but not that the title gave it all away. Could've called it "Human (Sexual) Response" or something and then you could have had even worse songs going thru your head!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-34219859718771662422008-06-08T23:30:00.000-04:002008-06-08T23:30:00.000-04:00Sillygoose, I did the same thing you did in teh SW...Sillygoose, I did the same thing you did in teh SW. And I disagree that "many a tux" has to be a noun - couldn't many a tux be black (e.g.)? <BR/><BR/>I am a cyclist and an avid Tour de France watcher, so I had ETAPE right away. It's French for "stage", of which the Tour has about 20.<BR/><BR/>Totally missed SNO CAT, even after I had it by the crosses. (I kept thinking, what's a SNOCAT? - short O.) CEE is silly. <BR/><BR/>For some reason I wanted the gypsum clue to be SHEETROCK - it fit the spaces but nothing else. <BR/><BR/>My Antonia is one of those books that I loved, loved, loved in high school and find unreadable now. <BR/><BR/>I did take a German literature course in college focusing on the Sturm und Drang period. (Age?)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-34737589717722716032008-06-08T23:20:00.000-04:002008-06-08T23:20:00.000-04:00I had my first Pimms cup a year ago in England. Om...I had my first Pimms cup a year ago in England. Omigod, was that a devious little drink! So sweet, and yet it has some kick to it. I need to track down a Pimms source here in the Windy City.Orangehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12433254398377357737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-33605574265043470612008-06-08T23:04:00.001-04:002008-06-08T23:04:00.001-04:00i would also have been befuddled by the word follo...i would also have been befuddled by the word following QUATERNARY were it not for the obvious theme. i wanted QUATERNARYPERIOD, but then PERIOD was in the clue. then QUATERNARYERA. but i fixed it very quickly.<BR/><BR/>i sailed through this puzzle pretty well, thinking it was okay. but i wasn't enthralled by the puzzle's theme. (especially not QUAILINGAT.) but i did stumble at the crossing of EGOYAN (i've never heard of the director <I>or</I> the film) and LLANOS. i know i should know that, but i had LLAMOS (llamas must have been baaing in my ear). the E from IPANEMA, however, gave me no difficulties. that has got to be one of the most crosswordesy 7-letter answers.<BR/><BR/>overall, the fill was pretty good and i liked the clues. and now seems like a good time to say that the setting plow scene from <I>my ÀNTONIA</I> is one of the most beautiful in all of literature.<BR/><BR/>sillygoose, the answer to [Many a tux] cannot be RENTED because the clue is a noun. therefore the answer must also be a noun. (weirdly, the clue is technically a singular noun, despite starting with "many." hence the answer must also be a singular noun.)<BR/><BR/>this is the second time recently i've seen STAINER, both times clued as [Woodworker, at times]. it seems like clunky fill, but i just wanted to comment about STAINER well because it's the #1 bingo rack in scrabble. you can form like a zillion different 8-letter words with STAINER + any single letter already on the board. not to mention you can also bingo with STAINER itself, or ANESTRI, ANTSIER, NASTIER, RATINES, RETAINS, RETINAS, RETSINA, or STEARIN.Joonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07825085755390339668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20071472529569229272008-06-08T23:04:00.000-04:002008-06-08T23:04:00.000-04:00LL- words other than LLAMA and 39A:LLANO? If LLBE...LL- words other than LLAMA and 39A:LLANO? If LLBEAN and LLCOOLJ are fair game then surely LLOYD is way more common, in the grid if not in real life(TM).<BR/><BR/>Is fair to clue 49D:ARRET a "Stop on le métro"? Yes, <EM>le métro</EM> is French, and arrêt is French for "stop" as in "halt", but it seems rather uncommon in a French subway -- one usually sees ARRÊT on one of those red octagonal road signs...<BR/><BR/>One the other hand, I think the clue "Red, e.g., once" should be adequate for 88A:FOE. Once we've realized that "Red" = "Russian (n.)", we can borrow the point-of-view of the people who used "Red" in this sense, for whom Russians were indeed FOEs at the time.<BR/><BR/>NDEAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-3956988140139947132008-06-08T22:56:00.000-04:002008-06-08T22:56:00.000-04:00I always use this to get a song out of my head.......I always use this to get a song out of my head....<BR/><BR/>IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA, BABY!jeff in chicagohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10492964479021891094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43076938279317144072008-06-08T22:06:00.000-04:002008-06-08T22:06:00.000-04:00Sweet Rex, it's nice to know that you've finally c...Sweet Rex, it's nice to know that you've finally come around on questing the rains, especially given the vehemence of your former defiance. And what about "She's fresh -- fish! -- exciting . . ."?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43734577666579933352008-06-08T21:35:00.000-04:002008-06-08T21:35:00.000-04:00Meh...just finished. It was a drudge for me. Got...Meh...just finished. It was a drudge for me. Got most of the QA stuff out of the box and didn't enjoy the puzzle at all.<BR/><BR/>That said, I though "DEADCALM" "SKUA" and "STOOGES" were interesting.<BR/><BR/>I'm going to an UNROBE club with some buds of mine.<BR/><BR/>As always, Rex, thanks for your usual fine commentary.The Asian Badgerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15099126490170266724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-86167967146120037332008-06-08T21:10:00.000-04:002008-06-08T21:10:00.000-04:00I am surprised none of you are familiar with the u...I am surprised none of you are familiar with the universal cure for "stuck song syndrome". All you have to do is hum the tune to "the girl from Ipanema". However, be careful. Whatever you do don't sing the words to the song. If you do "the girl from ipenema" will become stuck, and there is no known cure for that.<BR/><BR/>dbtxAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38381381449900934732008-06-08T20:00:00.000-04:002008-06-08T20:00:00.000-04:00@Green MantisCome on Eileen! Make it stop! I may ...@Green Mantis<BR/><BR/>Come on Eileen! Make it stop! I may never forgive you. <BR/><BR/>Will have to join chefbea1 with a Julep to go with her Pimms cup (which I've never had but will try soon)to dislodge it from my memory.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-62586173720257489492008-06-08T19:51:00.000-04:002008-06-08T19:51:00.000-04:00I'm going to have to play hard ball with Africa to...I'm going to have to play hard ball with Africa to get it out my head, and so have resorted to substitution with Electric Avenue. If that doesn't work, I'm going to Come on Eileen. But only as a last resort.green mantishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01823785147354157816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80958030372583024542008-06-08T19:47:00.000-04:002008-06-08T19:47:00.000-04:00I did this puzzle while I was at the Broadway Show...I did this puzzle while I was at the Broadway Show "Boeing Boeing", which was verrrry good. My wife was mad at me for wearing shorts and a tee shirt so that fact that I did the puzzle while we watched the show, (From the 2nd row), didn't make her any angrier than she already was!!! The theme was easily figured out. Q & A for everything. Someday someone will devise a T & A puzzle. Thomas Aquinas, Time and Again, Tommy Agee, etc. <BR/>Now I know an arctic bird is a skua - good thing for contextural analysis!!! I like the subtle clues like Jersey parts from a few days ago but this puzzle was straight forward and the usual hints that make you think were absent.alanrichardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06395356843823270129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46119217896502218422008-06-08T19:23:00.000-04:002008-06-08T19:23:00.000-04:00@mac right about the cucumber - almost forgot. En...@mac right about the cucumber - almost forgot. Enjoy the red wine and Italy. I'd rather be cold in italy than suffering here - although the temp has come down a bitchefbeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15195945085405126511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-1355520789527691442008-06-08T17:41:00.000-04:002008-06-08T17:41:00.000-04:00@macCold in Tuscany seems better than hot almost a...@mac<BR/>Cold in Tuscany seems better than hot almost anywhere else in this world. And red wine to boot.. I guess someone has to do it... Enjoy!foodiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13052189131129098616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71993956742567680002008-06-08T17:24:00.000-04:002008-06-08T17:24:00.000-04:00Yes, yes you nutmeggers, rub it in! I flew many ho...Yes, yes you nutmeggers, rub it in! I flew many hours to Tuscany to find the weather cold, wet and loud. Hopefully the sun will come out tomorrow.<BR/><BR/>I did this puzzle at the Rome airport and had a toughish time with it, maybe because I was sleep deprived. Finished it without googles (this dial-up thing takes too much time), but I somehow didn't enjoy it very much. Did learn a few new words and expressions though.<BR/><BR/>Chef Bea, put some cucumber in your Pimms cup! I'm having red wine and hot tea.....machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-34226049954422534932008-06-08T16:11:00.000-04:002008-06-08T16:11:00.000-04:00@dk pimms cup it is or maybe a mint julep for our...@dk pimms cup it is or maybe a mint julep for our fallen triple crown contenderchefbeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15195945085405126511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43051773759071357982008-06-08T16:10:00.000-04:002008-06-08T16:10:00.000-04:00I wish the printed version had not given away the ...I wish the printed version had not given away the theme in the title (Q&A Session). Usually the title offers a more subtle hint and it's fun to have the "haha" moment of discovering the theme. <BR/><BR/>I learned about this meaning of "holler" from Loretta Lynn: "Well I was born a coal miner's daughter, In a cabin on a hill in Butcher Holler"...<BR/><BR/>@Jim in NYC: "Arts & Sciences" usually refers to a school rather than a department. It includes all the classic departments such as English, Biology, Psychology, etc..., and most undergrads typically enroll in A &S. It stands in contrast to other schools such as Engineering, Business, Medicine, or Dentistry. So, Eng. is a reference to an English Major.foodiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13052189131129098616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-4164064605225016592008-06-08T16:05:00.000-04:002008-06-08T16:05:00.000-04:00Smooth sailing for me (no dead calm) until I put i...Smooth sailing for me (no dead calm) until I put in RENTED for 93D many a tux. That gave me STEINER for 111A woodworker, at times, which makes sense because thats the name of a wordworking tool maker, no? And then HODLERS for 114A backwoods valleys made sense to me because HOLLERS already means something ... else, and HODLERS could mean anything at all. It sounds more like a word than many other words in the grid (manx, quaternary, skua, sturm). I don't get hollers. <BR/><BR/>For "sir yes sir" I kept thinking of baa baa black sheep (yes sir yes sir 3 bags full). Unfortunately that has replaced Toto's Africa in my head.sillygoosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03483946342170291849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-4955592698903206992008-06-08T15:42:00.000-04:002008-06-08T15:42:00.000-04:00@chefbea1, May I recommend Lemon or Orange flavore...@chefbea1, May I recommend Lemon or Orange flavored Sam Pelligrino (sp?) water, Pimms and ice.<BR/><BR/>This is a great version of the Pimms Cup and an alternative to IceT or an ade.<BR/><BR/><BR/>I prefer the nautical term "in irons" to DEADCALM. Great puzzle for a Sunday. <BR/><BR/>off to play outsidedkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17317008233459295376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2103735293418679172008-06-08T14:36:00.000-04:002008-06-08T14:36:00.000-04:00Thanks chefbea1. I was really hoping there was mo...Thanks chefbea1. I was really hoping there was more to it but I guess it's one of those "fills" that are allowed.<BR/><BR/>I think you need a pie today - no matter the temp outside. How about Derby Pie - as a bow to our fallen Triple Crown contender Big Brown at the Belmont yesterday? I think Derby is just a trademark name for a chess pie. No? Go bake.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com